A new Old Chapter - Level 2

Isaiah 52:12. Throughout the Volume, one message is that we ought to leave Babylon. However you want to interpret that - in the end it should be relatively clear to everyone. In this particular verse however we're however told not to Hurry. So, we're not in a rush.
And yea ... the last 2 days have, well ... 'again' ... been one of those days where things felt a little more like shit be hittin' the fan and "oh no" - and also, water is wet!

So, I'm sure there's a lot of things that'd be meaningful or important - you know - being all serious and stuff, but I just finished watching Dragon Ball Daima - and I think I should take my time to write about that before we/I really don't have any time for such trivialities.


If I had to hazard a guess, I'd argue that Matthew 5:8 is one of those verses that got a lot of people to think. Imagine things. Wondering. To then swiftly forget about it while maybe thinking about it ever so often.
I believe ... that a lot of the good in the world we inhabit today is because of people like that. Well, I don't mean to say that they literally saw God, but that God touched them in ways that could be considered extraordinary.
And I don't know why I didn't make this connection before. Maybe I did but it wasn't really of any importance. But when it comes to media, one thing I appreciate is that to me, some things stand out among the rest. They far exceed the rest - even - not to be touched (as in: beyond reach) although all the ingredients are freely available.

And all these ... exceptional things, they have one thing in common. I mean, you could overthink it or insist on a higher degree of concrete accuracy and then it's not so clear anymore - but so, let's just say: They are inspired.


So, there's a culture war. "Go woke, go Broke" - some people say. I tend to agree with that, but the definition of woke that this applies to is so narrow and generally insignificant, it just doesn't work in the grand scheme of things. On the other hand people say "the right can't meme". People point out that Hollywood has a strong liberal slant - and nobody stops to think why that might be? But people also compare it to a Vipers' nest - and I'd be curious how it couldn't be so, given how much money there is to be had.
"Do you understand?"
George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry - aren't their works woke?

You can try to denie it - but the rest, those that see, they see!

And ... it's not even close!

Sure, if all we're looking at is the revenue - Star Trek isn't "up there". ut Star Wars certainly is. And what happens when "bad people" get their fingers on any one such gem - is also no mere hypothetical at this point.
I sure might look at something I enjoy and be glad that it made a lot of money - but that alone is meaningless.

Think about Blizzard perhaps. A company that grew large due to the work of a few talented people. And as the thing got more and more shady, more and more of them eventually left. Also interesting is the story of how Microsoft eventually infiltrated and took over Bungie - sort of. (I suppose it's all just "he said, she said" - but if you're curious: "The Dark History of Bungie Ft. Marty O' Donnell" by 'The Act Man')
Aren't those the story that truly move those who appreciate the work that is being done?

There is something special about companies that are willing to "produce return on investment" - as it were. I mean, those people that speak in defense of Capitalism always say that the profits are good because they lead to innovation. Sure - are those innovations with us in the room right now?
I mean - yes. There is a mechanism by which profit leads to expansion and possibly innovation. But - from stories like that of Bungie, there seems to be a fork along the road. Expand and Innovate to provide more of the good stuff, or expand and innovate on sucking money out of the market.

I mean, what would I prefer? A corporate entity that re-invests its money into the thing that I gave them money for in the first place, making the experience better; Or a corporate entity that banks as much of it as it can while employing people to splice the experience with more and more ways for me to pay for what I previously would have gotten for free?


But this isn't about the culture war. The culture war just so happens to ... exist, somewhere adjacent to all this stuff.

So, I was watching Dragon Ball Daima - and, it sure isn't perfect. But the original isn't really Perfect perfect either. A lot of things in Daima just feel a little bit off - but the concept, such as how perfectly it continues where Z left off; That's really good! I enjoyed it - even if a few things don't really make sense. It's still ... a little bit of everything. Dragon Ball, DBZ and DBGT in a 20~ish episodes large Nutshell.
I mean, I have a few nitpicks - is what I'm saying. And all that got me to think.


But that's a process that's been going on for quite some time already. There so was this thought - or question - lurkin in my mind: What is a story? What is a good story? And what's the point of Dragon Ball?

I mean, is it really just: Cell > Death Star > Man with Shotgun?

I mean, who cares what kind of a Character Goku is if in in the end it's just about whether or not he can beat Superman or whatever "OP Character" someone feels could take him on?


But yea - when I say that Dragon Ball is actually just a light-hearted comedy that isn't all about Figures beating the crap out of one another, I'd be somewhat dishonest. I mean, I got low key fixated on Dragon Ball during a trip to the Philippines. That's where I first heard/seen of it. And there was a movie on TV while we were staying at someone's house. I know the title as "Attack of the 100.000 super [something]s" - but apparently that's not the "actual" title? Well, it's where Goku and Friends travel to Namek because Frieza's 'Cooler' brother is terrorizing the Planet. And I was hooked.
[Dragon Ball Z - Movie 6 - Return of Cooler]
It took quite a while for Dragon Ball to appear in Germany. Eventually I found a store that sold the Manga - and ... I watched Dragon Ball on TV - and ... that fascination never waned.

That time Goku and Friends had to face Broly ... that was absolute PEAK back in the day. But whenever I come back to rewatching anything ... I see it through a particular lens that ... makes it all seem rather pointless. But maybe that's why I enjoyed Dragon Ball Daima. There's a bunch of pointless episodes, but ultimately it's "The Friends we made along the Way" the Anime.
And that's also why I really love the Buu Saga. Well, up until Buu actually pops out.


So, first, a brief summary: Goku and the story of Dragonball is loosely inspired by the story "Journey to the West". 'Son Goku' obviously being inspired by 'Son Wukong' - the Monkey King. The story kicks off as Bulma - a young and brilliant Girl finds her way to the shack where Goku lives. She is on the search for the Dragon Balls - and Goku is in the posession of one of them. Goku calls it, the Four Star Dragon Ball, "Grandfather" because it's the only thing he has left of him.
So, Goku accompanies Bulma on her quest on which they meet a bunch of Characters while Goku gets to shine as a very strong and talented fighter. Naturally they have several run ins with several bad guys, some of which eventually turn out as "not all that bad" and join them on their journey.

And the thing is, that with a few exceptions, Goku usually has very little problems beating up the bad guys. That Goku continues to surprise with his fighting prowess is basically a running gag that is played out in various ways.

Eventually the search for the Dragon Balls concludes, Bulma is putting her mind to other things and Goku meets Muten Roshi - a legendary Martial Arts master from whom Goku intends to learn. Through this relationship, Goku eventually gets to fight at Tournaments - and the story takes a subtle shift. Rather than just being this super strong and talented guy to the point that it's played out for comedy, it becomes more nuanced. This is also where the Character of Goku is consolidated as this outlandishly moronic guy that seemingly has only a brain for fighting but also has a heart of gold.

From here on out we can basically list all the Characters that were Challenges to Goku that had to be overcome. They show up, are stronger than him, and he somehow has to find a way to become stronger or somehow else overcome them. And yea, almost everyone on the Team once started out as a rival of Goku.


And that's kind of ... it. But, we just have to also talk about the Characters!


So, "first" there's Yamcha, Bulma and Goku met him during a trip through a desert, Yamcha being a Bandit that however has a really hard time with Girls.
Then there's Krillin. A fellow student of Roshi who cheats to come out on top.
Then there's Tenshinhan (also known as Tien) and Chiao Zu - students of a rivaling martial arts school that would stop at nothing to win.
Then there's Piccolo. Piccolo ... is some kind of Demon or Arch Demon, Demon King or whatever that wants to rule the world. Well, technically that's not the Piccolo we get to know. Goku defeated that Piccolo - but as his dieing breath he produced an egg for a new Piccolo to be born. A re-incarnation in a sense.
Then there's Vegeta, the Prince of a Warrior Species and one of the few survivors of a cataclysm that destroyed their home planet - still existing as servant to a Planet-Broker.
Then there's two Androids - two humans that have been converted into Fighting Machines for the sole purpose of killing Goku.
And finally there's Buu and Uub - two fragments of ... well, some kind of Cosmic Horror we might say.

And then there's also some other Characters ... like Oolong, Lunch and Yajirobe - lost individuals, essentially, that somehow ran into Goku and somehow found a place to stick around.
And then there's what's clumsily translated into "Gods" (Kami). Guardians - like "the Literal "God"" of Earth who's the other half of Piccolo. Or King Kai. "Beings more wise than Powerful" that usually get to help the Team get stronger, but also add some contrast to the very simple minded Goku.

And if anything ... Akira Toriyama ... the creator of Dragon Ball ... had a very weird but creative mind.
I mean, for once it's not like Sailor Moon where every episode is like ... it's own contained story. But it is one big continuous story. Eventually the same thing repeats itself still, but that over the course of many, many volumes.
Eventually Goku has a son, eventually Vegeta married Bulma - and shenanigans. There's so many wildly different things that end up playing together so very well.
I mean, it is a work of art - and no imitation I know could do it any justice!


So, let's talk about the Fighting!


You know ... sometimes shit just happens. There was this scene in Dragon Ball Daima that got me laughing. So, Goku, Kaioshin and Glorio are watching a scene unfold, where some Police terrorize a small village on behalf of the new Demon King. And Goku says: "Shall I give them a beating?".

I don't know how it comes across in your native tongue, but the German had me there. It's like in Stargate Atlantis where, what's his name - the Captain of the Daedalus gets green light to destroy Michael's ship - and in german he says: "Machen sie dieses Ding da weg!" - So, something like "Make this thing away"; But the line is nowhere near as funny in English.
Caldwell? Coldwell?

Anyhow. Goku steps up for the weak. He may not be able to understand complex concepts that aren't related to combat, but he understands that beating down on the weak isn't a feat of strength or courage or any of that - and also doesn't like it when people do that. And if there's a point to it all, that's it!

But then, that's for children. Reality is a little bit more complicated, I suppose.
I mean ... Goku, for instance, doesn't provoke fights. But he certainly is someone who claps back. He like ... either didn't see Karate Kid, didn't understand it or doesn't agree with the Philosophy.

If Goku were alive, there wouldn't be a Russian army anymore. All defeated by a single child!

And yea, that's childish - I guess.
But in a way it still gets the point across. No matter how strong you think you are or wish you were - you are not Goku and we all know it! And the only reason this works for Goku is because Goku can go the extra 100.000 miles!


But let's rewind.
At first, all we know about Goku is that he's a child that lives all by himself, far away from Civilization. And that he's strong because he's the Protagonist of a rather comedic, martial arts focused comic. And little by little, more and more gets added to the Plot. Whether that's important or not, the entire Cell saga is basically the clap-back from one of Goku's old enemies - a clap-back so severe it nearly destroys the Planet or Civilization as we know it. Depending on the timeline.
It's not necessarily obvious, but it's a fair thing to point out.
Just like ... how Goku's obsession with fighting has him neglect his Wife and family a lot.
Turns out, Vegeta is a way better family man than Goku!

But that's beside the point.


We can for once however close one cycle: Goku has a pure heart - it's a little nuance that is woven into the story. And so is the pride of Vegeta. There's the thing that Goku constantly outshines Vegeta, but the thing is - Vegeta does Shine ... in his pride. It's so fitting how Vegeta in Daima loves to fight with his arms crossed before his chest. But yea, that's why Vegeta is always behind Goku. Give or take. Uh, sorry - I ... got a little side-tracked again.

Obviously now my case this whole time would be that Akira Toriyama is one of those people that were worthy of this inspiration - or so by virtue of that, that Dragon Ball is one of those stories brought about by God's benevolence. To finally put it into words.

But so it's like I haven't really said anything - as we're back to the initial questions: What's a story?
What is a good story? And why should anyone care?


And here we can go down an entirely different rabbit hole. Like, what came first? The fan explaining why someone should care, or the person implying that nobody should?

It's a mean little trick, I'd argue - that pulls a lot of weight these days. Like how at this current point in time, there's this issue of people in power reversing the 'transgressor-victim' relationship. Like so, Trump has power; And what's he doing with it? He asked Zelensky, essentially, to beg for his support. But shouldn't one use power for good? To defend the weak? To oppose the evil? Well, "those people" love to turn around and say "[our country] First!" instead. And so and so many people ... seem to agree with that. That all these ethical concerns ... are "for pussies" or whatever.

And I've seen it play out a couple of times. Someone throws out an accusation, people defend themselves - and then that defense is taken out of context and presented as the start of the causality chain.

That's where we are. We all know that Putin started the war - and yea, there are two ends of that link. On the one side there's the whole text about why Putin felt provoked into it - and on the other people bastardize the meaning of Peace to give Putin the W.
It's a really insidious thing - given that underneath it all, a lot more is endangered. Essentially we're asked to submit into servitude, to let oligarchy reign and ... what not. And that IS the kind of shit that people (emphasis on 'people') would go to War over.
Like the Ukraine is currently at war.


And yea. I've been to Church today. Just sitting in, partaking of the Sacrament and listening to some testimonies. Three, I think, were about looking at the upside - trying to find the silver lining or something - given how bleak and depressing the news cycle has become.
Maybe you can enjoy some Dragon Ball!


But yea. Stories are stories. And whether any one story is more important than the other, well. I mean, everyone - I'm sure - knows of some story that is, to them, more important than another. History is a pretty important one. But what about fantasy? I mean, the current US Government is all about rewriting history to fit their (white) sensitivities - and that's both! History and Fantasy!

And then we try to tell stories about why one thing is more important than another. Like, why are facts important? Well, at first we're just like "duh!" - or "WHAT?!". I mean, they just are but people be like "nu uh!" - and then we need like ... facts to back up our claim that facts are important? I guess ... that's a weak position to be in!

But then there's also the matter of understanding a story wrong, or twisting it to meet some other end.


And that's kind of where we are with this stuff. "Superhero Stuff" I guess. Like, is it bad when Batman/Superman kills someone? Is Picard a good Star Trek show? Are Viltrumites something to look up to?

And I'm not sure. I'm not sure if it worked - but, it seems like it did. I mean, I banned Superman to the Slapstick zone for exactly that reason. I don't like these arguments. It pisses me off, although up to a certain point it's kind of entertaining. Or interesting. But in that regard then are there so and so many Characters that could technically beat Goku. But when hearing the arguments ... I feel like we went wrong somewhere in history; And I have to wonder whether or not there's some reset button we might want to punch in.

And arguments for why Superman would beat Goku are like ... all of that in a nutshell. There's like ... no rhyme or reason to any of it, just numbers and claims pulled out of some buttcrack; And I feel offended and personally insulted.
But why?


Because it's a power game - I suppose.
I mean, I can make up a Character. His name is Jimbo van Digginsag, he can lift a tree(400) kilograms without sweating and move at tree(500) times the speed of light. So clearly he can beat Goku!

I mean, that's just facts! But, it doesn't matter because I'm the only one ... uhm, no - I myself don't even give a damn. So, who cares?

But yea, by having the bigger numbers a crowd can grandstand that conclusion - as the other side can only say "nuh uh". So, at the end then, Superman like ... "rules" the fictional multiverse - and something just does not sit right with me. That's relative to how many people disliked "Man of Steel". And all of that has real world impact when it influences how and which stories are told. In the end it's probably more about "Who" gets to tell them, as the crowd of grandstanders will make sure to support the one but not the other, for totally "Fair" reasons "I'm sure".

And sure. I could say - well, I still think Goku wins, but regardless, IDGAF and piss off. But I also believe that I understand these things better than most - and that's the angle from which most of my criticism for Dragon Ball Daima comes from - so, I should actually reply with a very cynical "Sure".
But I don't want to ... get into that right here. The main issue is that the various Characters inhabit worlds, or more to the point: realities, with very different rules. Like, for sake of argument ... we don't even know what the Gravitational constant for the world of Dragon Ball is. So, if Character A can jump X meters at one G, and Character B can jump X meters at one G - but in a different reality, they appear like they can jump equally high but if G is different, then the conclusion is not actually correct.

Also, Bones in Dragon Ball are like ... made of Rubber.
And most importantly: People tend to ignore 'Ki' and what it might do.


So, ultimately - we can introduce the "Super Z Scale". So, on a scale from 1 to 10 - how does it compare to Dragon Ball? Because - yea. In as far as fighting is a focal point of Dragon Ball ... I mostly care about the spectacle. But not entirely!

But what then? It's like ... lonely on top. I guess. Or that's how I feel, assuming that this debate is settled and we can all agree that Dragon Ball hits the hardest. It might be some Stockholm Syndrome-esque situation. Like, finding one's self in a situation that is better than before, but so unusual that the mind struggles to accept it. Like ... I'm so used to disappointment, it'd take some really hard work to convince me that ... "it's over"!
I mean, I can easily be convinced intellectually - but my heart ... that's a different story!

I mean, I live a fantasy - it seems. Every day is like Groundhog's day. Well, it may be weeks or month - but things that used to give me comfort, don't do so anymore; And every bit of optimism I can muster feels like I'm cheating on myself. Well, except for one thing: Attitude. Attitude is beyond the stories we can tell ourselves. But it's also ... difficult. Which is why we tell ourselves stories. They make it easier.
They provide us with context, give us clues, offer explanation and inspiration even. But once all that is gone ... it's mostly just an act of willpower. And that is a double-edged sword!

The one is 'willpower' - the kind that relates to strength or resilience, but can also lead down the path of anger and aggression.
The other is 'peace' - like an absence of willpower. The letting go of things. The calmness. The moving on for the sake of moving on. It is however also the root of our strength, but so, one might forget that.


But so, can this story ever be over?
Anyway - for closure, I think, there's one more thing. It might just be the thing that made me feel like I could write this whole thing.


For once - I separate my creative endeavors into essentially two eras. The one era is pre-baptism, and the other is post-unification. The gap in-between doesn't really count because I didn't really do any creative work there. And I do that because something changed. Previously I worked on a world named Cereylla - afterwards I scrapped that and eventually started to work on a world named Agoraeyah. Something just feels different. I can't say how either would do, assuming they'd be finished products, on the "open market" - but what I'm trying to get at is that I also get two different vibes from Dragon Ball.
On the one hand - it's tight, solid and shiny, and on the other it's porous, brittle and dull. I would assume that that's because ultimately Toriyama was 'a normal human being'. So, there's impurities. Impurities that are a lot more apparent in Dragon Ball than compared to other works "of its kind" (so, Star Wars perhaps, though arguably the Prequels changed that) - because Dragon Ball is a continuous work that went on for years; As opposed to the usual "one and done" type of stuff we usually find.

And in that regard, I don't think there is a point. "The Journey is the Goal" - I guess; "And the real treasure/power are the friends we made along the way".
There isn't anything definitive here - just endless vanity, we may choose or refuse to engage with.

And I think that Vanity is OK. As always - and with everything else - it's the right dosage that matters. One of the therapists tasked to work with me once mentioned something that stuck with me. It was shortly before or after my surgery; Regarding how I'm used to live for myself and barely go out. She asked me 'if I felt seen' - the emphasis on 'me', not on 'seen'.
And it hit me because ... yes and no. There's something about being pretty because people like to see pretty things. But there's also something about being seen for who you are - just like there's something about people ignoring you when you really care about something.
Something something ... being authentic and something something vulnerable.


Anyway. I suppose I was trying to say something about ... inspired works of art. And here - I exposed myself to judgment because of the things I enjoy and what I think about them. I hate it! It's almost like Dragon Ball is a curse. Something to be enjoyed in silence - nothing to be paraded around lest the dipshits think they have to put you into your place. And then, Dragon Ball can all of a sudden feel sad. Like a lie. A stupid story, an illusion. Like ... Goku doesn't mean anything, he can't really hurt anyone - and there's no Goku that can stand up to those that are bullying you.
Meanwhile there are all these figures that people bring up to punch down on Goku - but ultimately all I see is jealousy and a war against all that is sacred!

But yea - it's a journey. And there's more to it than just what's on the screen. Here at least. And this is no way to end it. I mean, there is no way to end it. So ... I guess this leads us to the classic Dragon Ball Z "mid-battle cliffhanger end of episode". "... find out Next time ..."